Cooking for Comfort by Marian Burros

Author:Marian Burros
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2003-12-23T16:00:00+00:00

MICHAEL’S EGGPLANT LASAGNA

My son, Michael Burros, owns a vegetarian restaurant in Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia in the northwest part of Spain. Called O Cabaliño do Demo, it has become a big hit.

This richly flavored lasagna will satisfy both carnivores and vegetarians.

This is the kind of dish you want to make when you need to cook to calm yourself. There are several steps and several hours involved in its preparation.

yield: 12 servings

TOMATO SAUCE

One 15-ounce package firm tofu

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 medium-large onions, finely diced

¼ cup olive oil

1 large red bell pepper and 1 large green bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and finely chopped

6 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes

¼ cup finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried

¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried

¼ cup torn or chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Drain the tofu and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Drizzle with soy sauce and freeze until firm, at least several hours or overnight.

2. Defrost the tofu and set aside.

3. Sauté the onions in the oil over medium-high heat until they soften and begin to brown.

4. Add the peppers and continue to sauté until the peppers soften.

5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat. Add the tofu without draining whatever juices have accumulated.

6. Add the tomatoes, crushing them in your hand before adding, along with the herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes until the mixture is thick. Season with the salt and pepper.

CHEESE, EGGPLANT, AND NOODLES

1½ pounds Fromage Blanc (see Help Note, page 116)

¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup grated aged Gouda or sharp aged Cheddar

1 pound mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil, PLUS additional oil for drizzling

1 large clove garlic, smashed

2 medium-small eggplant, trimmed but not peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 lasagna noodles, fresh or dried

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix the Fromage Blanc with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and ¼ cup of Gouda. Set aside.

3. Sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until they begin to brown.

4. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute until the garlic begins to color. (Don’t let it get too dark or it will be bitter.) Set the mushroom-garlic mixture aside.

5. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil, season with the salt and pepper, and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender, turning once. Set aside.

6. Cook the lasagna according to package directions, rinse, and drizzle with oil so the noodles do not stick together.

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

2 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

1 large clove garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter or ¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup flour

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons dry sherry

Salt and white pepper to taste

1. In a pot, heat the milk just until bubbles appear at the edge. Remove from the heat, add the bay leaf and garlic, and steep for 20 minutes.

2. Melt the butter or olive oil in a deep pot.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.